THE federal Environment Department says up to eight helicopter flights could service each of the 30 tours associated with a Walls of Jerusalem tourism development if the controversial standing camp proposal gets the go-ahead from the Central Highlands Council.

The department this week released answers to questions on notice lodged by Tasmanian Labor senator Anne Urquhart on the proposed development on Halls Island, Lake Malbena, within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Wild Drake’s proposed helicopter-accessed standing camp was approved by the department in August, against the urgings of the Aboriginal Heritage Council, the Australian Heritage Council and the state’s National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council.

The department said this week that only the standing camp had been approved, with off-island activities, such as fishing, to be assessed at a later stage.

And it had been approved on the basis there would be 30 tours to Halls Island a year.

“Each tour may involve a maximum of two helicopter return trips to deliver customers and staff, and a further two helicopter return trips to deliver customers and staff back to Derwent Bridge some four days later,” the department said. “An additional seven trips per year were estimated by the proponent for separate servicing and maintenance flights.”

Proponent Daniel Hackett has previously said helicopter access was a more environmentally friendly way of accessing the Halls Island site as it would protect endangered bogs and fens.

He has also repeatedly said UNESCO sites such as Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef are accessed by helicopter, and that the area has been accessed by humans for decades.

Briefing documents show the department approved the proposal because the proponents had agreed to a range of measures aimed at protecting the area.

The Wilderness Society is challenging the process of approval in the Federal Court.

Came back from NZ a few weeks ago. I actually hoped for rain and mist each day cause it ment all the tourist planes and helicopters couldn't fly.

Completely wrecks the feeling of wilderness when there are low level flights buzzing over you daily.

I was out at the Peninsula the other day and there's that helicopter tour that takes people to see Tasman Island. Flew right over us at Cape Hauy and Mt Brown and really ruined the calm. And that's in a place that already gets heaps of people...

They can't have it both ways.I've been asked on more than one occasion for an extension to time from council over the Christmas break. (so they don't have to rush their assessment) Public holidays etc eat in. Sounds rather deliberately timed IMO.

False alarm We have been informed that the council has requested more information from the proponent and that submission date has been postponed. They will also be contacting various organisations a week prior to submissions opening so that there is enough time to get the word out.

Lake Malbena development proponents promise public access to Halls Island

EMILY BAKER, State Political Reporter, Mercury

THE couple behind a proposal to build a standing camp in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park say they will allow public access to the small island they privately lease.

Daniel and Simone Hackett have launched a website dedicated to their tourism venture on Halls Island, on Lake Malbena, in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The pair have a private lease for the land and have received state and federal approval to develop a helicopter-accessed standing camp on and near Halls Island.

Mr and Mrs Hackett’s proposal has drawn the ire of conservationists, walkers and fly fishers — with the latter group alarmed they could be shut out from visiting an area they had fished for years.

But in a statement, Mr Hackett on Wednesday night said he had decided to allow the public 15 day trips to Halls Island each year — offering free access for groups of up to four people each time.

Overnight trips would be considered upon request, Mr Hackett said, and visitors would be able to use “full-capture toilet facilities” he would provide “for the benefit of the environment and public users”.

Visitors would have to organise their own access to the island, he said. But all applicants would have to send an email to “book a suitable time to visit”. They would then be asked to provide a photocopied ID and phone number, to sign an insurance waiver and carry an EPIRB device.

“Whilst visiting Halls Island, visitors must adhere to any directions given by the lessors, to ensure that environmental integrity, safety and the important values of Halls Island are maintained,” the new Halls Island website says. “All visitors must have a history of respectful relations with the hut owners.”

Mr Hackett said the journal in the historic hut already on the island indicated that over the past 26 years, just three groups had visited the island on average each year.

“The majority of these visitors self-identified as repeated visitors with a long-term connection to the hut, or bushwalking club members,” Mr Hackett said. “Every few identified as anglers.”

The new Halls Island website also contains a page stepping out Mr and Mrs Hackett’s efforts in meeting state and Commonwealth requirements for development within the World Heritage Area.

The Wilderness Society has launched a federal court challenge to the approval of the development, which will next be considered by the Central Highlands Council.

4th Jan 2019, from FaceBook page of Fishers and Walkers against helicopter access:After a call to the Central Highlands Council we can confirm that public submissions are NOT yet open for Halls Island/Malbena. The planning office informed us that it has not yet advertised and they have requested more information from the applicant. They also reconfirmed that because of the huge amount of interest, they are taking names and emails down on a list to contact and notify when public submissions are open, so we'll take this opportunity to remind you that if you're not already on that list, give the Planning office a call on 62595503 with your details to get on that notification list.

THE Launceston couple behind a controversial tourism development within World Heritage-listed wilderness has released a first look at their proposed Halls Island standing camp.

Daniel and Simone Hackett’s plans for a helicopter-accessed development on Lake Malbena in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park will likely be released for public comment by the Central Highlands Council at the end of the month.

Mr Hackett today released an impression of one of three planned huts that will make up the standing camp as designed by Tasmanian firm Cumulus Studio.

The camp is expected to be in place all year round.

“It’s exciting to see the fruition of three-years’ worth of design work, combined with ten years of operational experience in the TWWHA coming together through the Lake Malbena project,” Mr Hackett said today.

“The standing camp design requires less than a week to fully install, or fully remove, with only a few tent-peg like anchors used to secure the pods on-site.

“The infrastructure footprint is respectfully minimal: approximately 65m2, and the camp would be completely hidden when viewed from off-island, or from our existing historical hut on the island.”

“At no point were the ‘rigid tents’ to be the hero; instead, the natural bush would remain as the endearing feature, while the shelters blend in to the landscape as a recessive feature.”

The Hacketts, who plan to develop the site under the company name of Wild Drake, announced this week they would allow public access to Halls Island to anyone with “a history of respectful relations with the owners”.

The couple has copped flak for their Lake Malbena proposal, with concerns about the potential privatisation of Halls Island and the use of helicopters to fly high-end tourists into the proposed development.

The Wilderness Society has launched a Federal Court challenge to the Federal Government’s approval of the development, which also faces approval from the Central Highland Council before it can proceed.

Then again any hut can be removed in a week. It's unlikely to ever happen of course, being removable would make sense ($) in installation, with a usable marketing spin-off.. more likely any development used as an excuse to do similar in other areas as the evidence bellows. The heli-ops are bad enough but a consequence and mild disturbance compared to accepting a lesser new standard for wilderness, out of sight- out of mind... All this cuffuffle while developers conspire to get flights going elsewhere, under the radar.

"The guides are all complaining there's mobile reception and hot showers," Godfrey laughs.

It wasn't that long ago that this proposal would not even be allowed where it is. I'm yet to hear any logical reason as to why the areas was rezoned except to meet the needs of the proponent and those with vested interests in the area.

I visited Lake Malbena over the weekend. I went in via Junction Lake and out via Lake Meston, so I encountered a lot of fisherman at both of those popular walking/fishing locations. As usual when bushwalkers bump into each other I was asked where I was going to/from. When I mentioned Lake Malbena without saying anything about the proposed development, or without initially offering any opinion on it, every single one of the fisherman I met got quite fired up in opposition to the proposal.

I have only come across one person (a close friend) who is in favour of the development.

Son of a Beach wrote:I have only come across one person (a close friend) who is in favour of the development.

Most people FOR such proposals don't bushwalk, or camp. It's very difficult to get traction in an argument they simply can't contextualise.

Good point. Although my mate who is in favour is one of the rare exceptions who does get out bush a bit (for fishing).

I'm shocked by the articles posted while I was away stating that Mr Hackett is going to use his lease to ban public access to the island except for a select few who apply for access and who and promise to be nice to him.

The fact that he has been granted permission to ban the public from what has until now been publicly accessible National Park, and nobody was given a chance to provide an opinion before it happened is beyond shocking!

I guess I've been taking the generosity of the owners of Lees Paddocks, Wadley's and Pine Hut Plains for granted, but I would have thought that Halls Island would not have public access banned similarly to how the owners of those areas continue to allow people to walk through.

Son of a Beach wrote:I guess I've been taking the generosity of the owners of Lees Paddocks, Wadley's and Pine Hut Plains for granted, but I would have thought that Halls Island would not have public access banned similarly to how the owners of those areas continue to allow people to walk through.

I guess the difference is that they aren't motivated by making money off the TWWHA.

The article in The Mercury the other day mentioned that the proponent has set up a website, has anyone come across it?

monte wrote:If this all goes ahead I guess someone will volunteer to assert their rights to access the island and then we will see what happens.

Or better, old hands in this echo chamber can desist in being enablers of dog -whistling, and engage the topic with integrity. What is shocking is not that people here are opposed to this, but the readiness with which they engage disingenuous 'othering'. Have at it.